Didier Deschamps to miss France's decisive World Cup clash with Norway

France manager Didier Deschamps will miss the 2026 World Cup Group I decider against Norway after the death of his mother, with assistant Guy Stephan taking charge. France have already secured a place in the Round of 32; the winner of Friday's match will top the group, making the fixture an emotional turn in Deschamps' final tournament.

The French Football Federation said: "The national team manager had the pain, this Tuesday morning, of learning of the passing of his mother. He will return to France to attend her funeral. In this extremely painful moment, we wish the manager and his family a lot of courage and assure them of the support of everyone within the Federation." Deschamps left the France squad base in the United States to return home.

France

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